SBA ordered to turn over records in suit

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Small Business Administration to turn over records sought by a Petaluma small business advocacy group.

The American Small Business League is suing the federal government, alleging $60 billion a year in federal contracts meant for small business are going to big corporations instead.

SBA spokesman Mike Stamler said another federal agency, the General Services Administration, already turned over the records sought by the Petaluma group. He called American Small Business League?s claims ?extremely misleading.?

But Chris Gunn, spokesman for the Petaluma group, said the General Services Administration provided only part of the records it sought.

In a report last year, SBA said there are ?very few? cases of large corporations getting federal contracts meant for small business, and the agency is taking steps to solve the problem.

On Monday, Judge Marilyn Patel of U.S. District Court in San Francisco ordered SBA to turn over documents sought by the American Small Business League within two weeks.

The Petaluma group said the documents will show which companies received federal contracts.